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France, Russia must work together to reach carbon neutrality, says ex-ambassador

Sylvie Bermann stressed that there was now a consensus that nuclear power is one of the least carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting forms of power generation

PARIS, November 30. /TASS/. Cooperation between Russia and France in the field of nuclear energy is high and should focus on reaching carbon neutrality, given the current challenges arising from climate change, former French ambassador to Russia and President of the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) Sylvie Bermann said in an interview with TASS.

Representatives of foreign companies and international organizations have already gathered in Paris for the opening of the fourth World Nuclear Exhibition on Tuesday. "I am glad that Rosatom will be attending WNE-2021 like in previous years. France also participates in the Atomexpo exhibition organized every two years in Russia," Bermann said.

"The cooperation is very active both at the industrial and at the scientific levels. It is ensured by the intergovernmental agreement of 1996," she noted, adding "contacts between representatives of the industrial sector, scientists, and institutes are very intensive, and people know each other personally. This creates an atmosphere conducive to the emergence of new ideas to tackle new challenges. For example, our cooperation now includes other areas of nuclear technology, such as nuclear medicine".

"There is now a consensus that nuclear power is one of the least carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting forms of power generation. Therefore, it can help solve the climate problem. We must work together to reach the global goal of carbon neutrality," she concluded.

The World Atomic Expo (WNE) is scheduled to be held in Paris on November 30-December 2. Expectations are that the event will be attended by 612 exhibitors and 18,000 guests from 83 countries. This conference was originally scheduled for 2020 and had been postponed twice due to coronavirus restrictions.